Removably mounted swimming pool accessory anchoring device

ABSTRACT

An anchoring device, such as an eye bolt, removably mounted to a wall of a vinyl lined swimming pool for anchoring swimming pool accessories thereto. The anchoring device is mounted to the wall of a swimming pool such that it can be readily installed and removed from the exposed surface of the swimming pool wall. The device includes a sleeve which is mounted to a coping surrounding the swimming pool, and an anchoring bolt having a shaft which is threadably receivable in the sleeve.

ilnited States Patent 1191 Engelhart 14 1 Mar. 4, 1975 REMOVABLY MOUNTED SWIMMING 3.028.645 4/1962 Steu rman et 11.1 85/1 R x QO ACC S ANCHORING DEVICE 3,065,576 11/1962 Prizler et a1. 4/172.15 X l 3,215,248 11/1965 Morris 197/97 [75] In en o Jo n M. ge hart, 0, M ch. 3,749,424 7/1973 Greene 4/172 [73] Assignee: Quality Pool Supply Co'., Clio, Mich.

. Primary Evaminer-l-lenry K. Artis [22] Filed July 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Hauke. Gifford, Patalidis & [21] Appl. No.: 383,818. Dumont [52] US. Cl 4/172, 85/1 R, 4/1, [57] ABSTRACT [51 I t Cl An anchoring device, such as an eye bolt, removably R 172ll 172 12 mounted to a'wall of a vinyl lined swimming pool for 1 g a g 15 172 68 2 anchoring swimming pool accessories thereto. The an- 612 i H l 6 5 choring device is mounted to the wall .of a swimming vp001 such that it can be readily installed and removed from the exposed surface of the swimming pool wall. [56} References Clted The device includes a sleeve which is mounted to a UNITED STATES PATENTS coping surrounding the swimming pool, and an an- I.333,880 3/1920 Stine 52/707 choring bolt having a shaft which is threadably receiv- 1.761.978 5/1930 85/1 R able in the sleeve, I 2.001741 5/1935 85/1 R 2.772.560 12/1956 Neptune 52/707 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REMOVABLY MOUNTED SWIMMING POOL ACCESSORY ANCHORING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to swimming pools, and

Typically, vinyl lined swimming pools include a vinyl liner, a steel framing member to support the liner and a coping which is mounted to the steel framing member and which is utilized to retain the upper edge of the vinyl liner and to form the upper edge of the swimming pool. Such swimming pools alsousually have a decking of some type'surrounding the edge of the swimming pool adjacent the coping. This decking is usually either concrete or is constructed of wood.

Anchoring devices, such as eye bolts and the like, are often used in such poolsto hold the ends of ropes to the pool to separate the deep section from the shallow section or to fasten other accessories such as ladders or the like to the sides of the pool. These anchoring devices are usually installed before the decking is put into place and extend through the vinyl liner to be secured to either the steel framing member or the coping of the pool.

In such swimming pools it becomes necessary, from time to time, to replace the vinyl lining. In order to replace the lining, the anchoring devices located in the swimming pool walls must first be removed in order to remove the lining and then be replaced after the new lining is installed. I

Heretofore, anchoring devices were attached to the walls of the vinyl lined swimming pools in such a manner that in order to remove them from the wall, the decking surrounding the pool had to be torn up and the earth dug away on the outside of the pool to the depth of the anchoring device to permit access to a nut which would permit the anchoring device to be removed and either reinstalled or replaced when the new liner was-in place.

A typical construction of such anchoring devices includes an. eyebolt having a threaded shank received through a hole in the vinyl lining and a hole in the coping or metal framing member such that it protrudes from the back surface of the coping or framing member. A nut is threadably engaged on the shank and tightened down against the coping or framing member from the back. Backfilling on the sides of the pool is performed and a decking is next installed adjacent the coping around the swimming pool. This decking, be it concrete or wood, encases the nut holding the anchoring device to the pool wall. The only way to remove the anchoring device is to disengage the nut from the shank of the eyebolt. Of course, in order to gain access to the nut the decking and earth must be removed in the area of the nut. This problem of removing the decking to remove the eyebolt becomes particularly difficult when the decking is concrete.

The present invention obviates the necessity of having to remove the decking in order to remove the anchoring device by providing an eyebolt or the like, which-can be removed from the swimming pool wall and replaced without having to disturb, in any manner, the decking surrounding the pool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides as an attachment for a lined swimming pool, an anchoring device for anchoring swimming pool accessories thereto, which anchoring device includes attaching means in the form of an eyebolt, or the like, removable from and installable in a wall of the swimming pool from the exposed surface of the wall. The anchoring device has a cylindrically shaped sleeve threaded on its exterior surface and a threaded internal bore open to one end of the sleeve. The sleeve also includes a flange integrally formed at the end having the opening of the threaded bore. The

eyebolt has a threaded shank which engages in the correspondingly threaded bore'in the sleeve. A nut engages the exterior threads. of the sleeve. When the device is installed inthe wall of. the swimming pool, the sleeve is inserted through a hole in the wall of the pool formed by the coping or metal framing member such that the flange abuts the exterior surface of the wall and the open end of the bore is exposed. The nut is threaded onto-the sleeve from the back surface of the wall to fasten the sleeve in place and the decking can then be installed around the pool adjacent the coping. The vinyl liner is attached to the coping and installed in the pool. The shank of the eyebolt is then inserted through an appropriate hole in the liner and threaded into the bore of the sleeve through its exposed open end to thereby securely fasten the eyebolt to the wall of the pool. I

To remove the vinyl liner, the eyebolt can be removed from the swimming pool wall by unthreading its threaded shank from the bore of the sleeve. This is done from the exposed surface of the swimming pool wall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One preferred embodiment of the present invention DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, a typical swimming pool, generally denoted as 10, is illustrated as including a coping 12 defining the upper edge of the pool. A decking 14, illustrated as being of concrete, surrounds the swimming pool 1.0 adjacent the coping 12. As can best be seen in FIG. 2 the coping 12 is preferably attached along the upper edge of a metal framing member 13. A vinyl pool liner .16 is attached to the coping 12 and forms the walls and floor of the pool. Anchoring devices 22 of the present invention are preferably disposed at predetermined locations around the swimming pool to anchor swimming pool accessories in place, such as a life preserver 24 or a rope 26 which divides the deep section of the pool from the shallow section.

FIG. 2 best illustrates one of the anchoring devices 22 installed in the swimming pool wall, and FIG. 3 best illustrates the various components of the anchoring de- VlCe.

With reference to both FIGS. 2 and 3, a preferred anchoring device 22" of the present invention includes a cylindrically shaped sleeve 28 having an internally threaded'bore 30 with an opening 32 at one end, a threaded exterior surface 34, and a flange 31 disposed generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 28 at the end thereof having the opening 32. The sleeve 28 is illustrated as being inserted through an appropriate opening 33 in the coping 12 such that it extends from a back surface 38 of the coping 12 and the flange 37 abuts an exterior surface 40 ofthe coping 12. It is to be understood, however, that in many instances the anchoring device 22 will be situated low enough in the pool such that it will extend through the metal framing member 13.

The sleeve 28 is mounted in, place in the coping 12 i or the framing member l3 before the decking 14 is insurface 34 of the sleeve 28. The nut 42 is threaded onto the threaded exterior surface 34 from the end of the sleeve 28 opposite that end having the flange 37, i.e., the end of the sleeve protruding from the back of the coping 12 or framing member 13. A standard washer 44 may be installed over the sleeve 28 prior to installing the nut 42. The nut 42 is tightened forcing the flange 37 against the surface 40 of the coping 12. v

The anchoring means 22 may be in the form of an eyebolt as shown so that it includes a ring portion 36, to which a swimming pool accessory is to be anchored. The ring portion 46, as can best be seen in FIG. 3 has a threaded shank 48. The shank 48 threadably engages in the threadedbore 30 through the opening 32 of the sleeve 28. A second washer 50 and a seal 52 preferably are disposed on the shank 48.

The shank 48 is threadablyv engaged in the bore 30 through the liner 16 after the vinyl liner 16 is connected to the coping l2 and is installed in place. When installed, the vinyl liner 16 overlaps a portion of the coping 12. The shank 48 is inserted through an appropriate hole 54 in the vinyl liner 16 and is threaded into the bore 30 from the exposed surface 56 of the swimming pool wall by turning the ring 36 in the appropriate rotationaldirection. The seal 52 is located adjacent the vinyl liner 16 and the second washer 50 is located between the seal 52 and ring 36. As the shank 48 is threaded into the bore 30, the second washer 50, the seal 52 and the vinyl liner are forced against the exterior surface 40 of the coping 12.

In addition, it is preferable that all the components of the anchoring device 22, except possibly the seal 52, be plated with a corrosion resistant material.

To rcmove'the ring portion 36 of the anchoring device 22 from the swimming pool wall 18, as must be done to replace the vinyl liner 16, it is only necessary to remove the ring portion 36 from the exposed surface 56 of the swimming pool wall by unscrewing the shank 48 from the bore 30, the sleeve 28 remaining mounted to the coping 12, thus allowing the decking 14 to remain undisturbed. When the new liner 16 has been installed the ring portions 36 are again mounted in place through the new liner.

Although it has been preferred to describe the anchoring devices 22 as eyebolts, it is apparent that they could take other forms as well.

The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clarity of understanding and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. An anchoring device for a swimming pool, said swimming pool having a wall and a liner, said anchoring device comprising: i

.a sleeve having both internal and external threads, said sleeve being open to said internal threads at at least one end thereof;

a flange substantially perpendicular to the axis of said sleeve and secured to said sleeve at the open end thereof;

a nut threadably engageable with the external threads 25 of said sleeve whereby to lock the wall of the swimming pool between said flange and said nut after said sleeve is inserted through said wall with the openend of said sleeve facing the interior of said swimming pool, a

a shank having external threads-insertable through a hole in said liner from the inside of said pool whereinthe external threads of said shank threadably engage the internal threads of said sleeve to I thereby removably mount said shank to said sleeve;

and

attaching means secured to said shank.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said flange is integral with said sleeve.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a washer disposed on said sleeve between said wall and said nut;

a seal disposed on said shank between the swimming pool wall and said attaching means; and

a second washer disposed on said shank between said seal and said attaching means.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank and said attaching means are integral.

5. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein thelongitudinal axis of said sleeve is generally perpendicular to the swimming pool wall.

6. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is generally circular in transverse cross-section.

taching means is in the form of a ring.

sion resistent material.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said at- 

1. An anchoring device for a swimming pool, said swimming pool having a wall and a liner, said anchoring device comprising: a sleeve having both internal and external threads, said sleeve being open to said internal threads at at least one end thereof; a flange substantially perpendicular to the axis of said sleeve and secured to said sleeve at the open end thereof; a nut threadably engageable with the external threads of said sleeve whereby to lock the wall of the swimming pool betweeN said flange and said nut after said sleeve is inserted through said wall with the open end of said sleeve facing the interior of said swimming pool, a shank having external threads insertable through a hole in said liner from the inside of said pool wherein the external threads of said shank threadably engage the internal threads of said sleeve to thereby removably mount said shank to said sleeve; and attaching means secured to said shank.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said flange is integral with said sleeve.
 3. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a washer disposed on said sleeve between said wall and said nut; a seal disposed on said shank between the swimming pool wall and said attaching means; and a second washer disposed on said shank between said seal and said attaching means.
 4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said shank and said attaching means are integral.
 5. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal axis of said sleeve is generally perpendicular to the swimming pool wall.
 6. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is generally circular in transverse cross-section.
 7. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said attaching means is in the form of a ring.
 8. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said sleeve and said means for mounting said sleeve are plated with a corrosion resistent material.
 9. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said attaching means and said shank are plated with a corrosion resistent material. 